Arsenal fans were left baffled by Arsene Wenger’s bizarre dance moves at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup draw.
After a typically protracted event, it was confirmed that Premier League champions Manchester City will face Juventus in the opening group stage, while Chelsea will take on Brazil giants Flamengo.
The new 32-team competition, to be hosted in the United States next summer, has been championed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino – but is the subject of two legal challenges in Europe, which both involve players’ union FIFPRO.
City and Chelsea qualified as 2023 and 2021 Champions League winners respectively, but were kept apart in the draw for the group stage as part of FIFA’s complicated regional constraints.
Pep Guardiola’s side will play Casablanca outfit Wydad AC in their opening Group G fixture before taking on Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and finish against Italian giants Juve.
Chelsea start in Group D against Mexicans Club Leon, then play Flamengo and Esperance Tunis.
Should both English clubs progress to the knockout stages as group winners, they would go into opposite sides of the draw and would then not meet until the final.
The draw in Miami, meanwhile, proved to be an interminable affair, which also included a video message from President-elect Donald Trump.
‘The event is going to be incredible. I will try and be there if I can,’ Trump said. ‘Gianni is a winner. He is a president and I am the president. We have known each other a long time.
‘Soccer is going through the roof, it has been doing very well. It really is taking over the United States as a sport.
‘We are also going to be watching the (2026) World Cup very soon. I was very responsible along with Gianni in getting it, and it is going to be a fantastic thing.’
As if Trump’s appearance wasn’t enough for football fans to stomach, the sight of Wenger being forced to dance alongside host Ana Jurka was a level of cringe too far.
‘It’s a shambles,’ said one fan watching the draw unfold. ‘Del piero speaking about immigrants the hosts dancing with Arsene Wenger and now some kids doing the draw. All sort of formality has gone out the window.
‘I’ve just seen the Wenger dance,’ said another perplexed fan. ‘I’m lost for words.’
And another viewer said: ‘Arsene Wenger is now being forced to dance. God, this whole thing has been horrific.’
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